


save what has been lost (what once was mine)

by Wyrd_Syster



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Happy Ending, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Tangled AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27066820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wyrd_Syster/pseuds/Wyrd_Syster
Summary: “Starfall Day,” Lila repeated, her bright eyes gleaming for only a moment before she masked her features once more with a stern glare. “Here’s my deal - you will act as my guide, take me to the festival and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return this bracelet to you.”“Yeah, no can do,” the Kraken said. “Unfortunately, the kingdom and I are not exactlysimpaticoat the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere.”..OR..The Umbrella Academy x Tangled AU we all deserve.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Lila Pitts, The Handler & Lila Pitts
Comments: 15
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies, so when @andyoudoctor started created the most amazing _Tangled (2010) // TUA: Diego & Lila_ gifsets on Tumblr, I was inspired! And then this, like everything else I write, sort of got away from me. Shout-out to @PepperF who gave me some great pointers on writing my first AU!

\- - -

Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom in a far off land, where the sun was always golden yellow and the sky a deep and endless blue, there ruled a benevolent King and Queen. 

While their land was bountiful - overflowing with flowers and forests, the harvests ripe and the calm seas full of fish - their household remained barren. It was a source of great sadness for the couple, and the Queen often fell sick with grief, disappearing into the darkness of her chambers for weeks on end. And the kingdom felt deeply for their sovereigns, praying endlessly for an heir and an end to the Queen’s melancholy.

(But not everyone. For there were some who had plans, dark and bloody. Some who had been commissioned to remove the heads of their nation and supplant new leaders. They kept to the shadows, watching. Waiting.)

Everything changed the night the stars fell.

Once upon a time, in a distant land where the sea met the sky, the stars grew confused over the limits of their reach. They fell, one by one, to the earth below, seeping through the thatched roofs of seven unsuspecting households. And in the morning, seven women gave birth to children they had not been expecting, seven miracles, seven wonders.

News travels fast in a small kingdom, especially when magic and mystery is involved. Not a week had passed when each household received a grand visitor - the advisor to the royal household himself, Sir Reginald Hargreeves.

“The King and Queen have much interest in these star-touched children,” he said, lying through his teeth, for the King and Queen were much too preoccupied with their own miraculous occurrence to bother with the others.

(Once upon a time, an eighth star did not so much fall as swan dive from the Heavens, for it had heard the heavy cries and shattering wails of a broken heart and meant to do something about it.)

“The children will be well cared for,” Sir Reginald continued from house to house. “And you and your family will be paid handsomely for the inconvenience. Think of it not as losing a child, but rather as giving the kingdom an extraordinary gift. Because, mark my words, these children will be extraordinary, each and every one of them.”

He got all seven. He would never forgive himself for losing the eighth.

Whatever his motives were - good or ill - Sir Reginald had been correct in his assessment; the children did grow to become extraordinary, gifted and powerful. And there were those of stronger will and fouler purpose who would’ve raised themselves an army off of their little backs. 

(Those in the shadows cursed their poor timing. But there was one who knew the truth, who looked at the night sky and saw eight - not seven - empty spaces, and knew they still had one more chance. She waited. She watched.)

For better or worse, Sir Reginald had saved the children from a darker fate and kept them as his own, luxuriously fed and clothed among the gilded halls of the palace. He had no want for the babies whatsoever, cared little for their needs, and left their rearing to his dear wife, Lady Grace, who had always wanted a family and loved each child as her own.

Months passed, and the fervor around the star-touched children died down until it became nothing more than a story of passing oddity. And then, their tale became further eclipsed by even more joyous news as the Queen emerged from her chambers, carrying in her arms a beautiful baby girl. The kingdom rejoiced.

(From the shadows, the one who waited and watched looked upon the baby and saw that it was too big to be newly born, the Queen too slim for having just carried a child to term.)

And then, there was tragedy.

The night was dark, the clouds shrouding the moon and all her stars, when the shadows attacked. It would not be until the next morning that the full horror of the night was known, and by then it was too late. At dawn, a maidservant discovered the royal chambers drenched in blood, the King and Queen slain where they lay. And the crib that held the blessed child - the miracle, the heir they had all been waiting for - empty and cold.

“Well, Little One, it’s not much, but I think we can make this a home,” cooed the Handler to the little bundle in her arms. She stood within a long-forgotten tower, buried deep in the woods in the center of a valley, so far from civilization that not a single road led to or from it.

“My little Lila,” the Handler stroked a finger along the baby’s soft cheek. “What do you think? Come now, dear, give Mother a smile.”

And the baby looked up at the woman, who she would only ever know as Mother, and mimicked her smile perfectly.

\- - -

Years passed. Lila grew from a baby to a toddler in the blink of an eye, then from child to teenager, and teenager to young woman within the space of a breath. But her transformation occurred in almost complete isolation - bereft of siblings and playmates, Lila relied only on Mother for company, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

(At night when Mother left - for Mother had to live separately, of course, to keep her safe - Lila would slip frocks over her dress form and pretend she had a sister. She would whisper into her invisible ear all her secrets - what few she had - and play silly games with her. Mother never needed to know how lonely she truly was.)

From a tender age, Lila was instructed in the art of combat. As soon as she could walk, she was taught to kick and punch, to wield swords and knives and throwing stars, to jump and roll and land on silent feet.

“There are people in this world who would seek to hurt you, Little One,” Mother reminded her constantly. “You must make your body a weapon in order to defend yourself.”

“But why, Mother?”

The question was one of Lila’s earliest memories, a frequent reoccurrence under her lone roof. Why was she always alone? Why couldn’t Mother stay with her? Why were there people seeking to hurt her?

The answers became apparent the first time she was taken from her tower. 

It was warm, autumn day when they entered the Capital. Waddling hand-in-hand with Mother down a busy cobblestone road, both of them hooded in traveling cloaks, Lila was entranced by all that she saw. Festival banners and pennants fluttered in the breeze, and all around her were people - men and women, tall and short, bedecked in sparkling jewels and lace and rough spun fabric with muted colors - more people than she had ever seen in her short life. There was music and laughter, the smells of caramelized sugar and baked bread, and everywhere she looked she saw flowers.

Bluebells climbing up trellises; golden pansies and violet crocuses arranged in window boxes; hydrangea bushes exploding in pink and periwinkle; creeping vines of honeysuckle; bouquets of roses in red and orange and white twisted with twine; small planters of snowdrops and lavender; marigolds as big as her fist and lily-of-the-valley petals smaller than a pinky nail. And through the air loosened petals drifted like gently falling snow.

Lila had so many questions, but she kept them to herself. 

(Mother did not like to be bothered with too many questions.)

They stopped in front of a shoddily constructed wooden stage. A small crowd was gathered around with their faces turned to the lone figure who stood upon it. 

Years later, Lila would only need to close her eyes and hum softly to recreate the scene before her - the girl was awkwardly shaped, all limbs and elbows, and her bright red hair formed a frizzy cloud framing her acne-ridden face. But she stood bravely in front of all those people singing, and her voice was clear and high, strong as the wind and carrying twice as far. And through her singing, she seemed to transform into the most beautiful person in the entire world.

Lila watched in amazement for only a few minutes before Mother grabbed her arm, drawing her to the other side of the street. She pushed Lila to the top of a stone stoop.

“Sing,” Mother instructed. “Just like that girl over there. Quickly now.”

She fidgeted, twitched her hands in her cloak, took a deep breath, and began to sing. But the sound that passed from her lips was not her own - Lila was barely more than a toddler and sounded as much. But at Mother’s instruction, she sang with a voice that was clear and high, strong as the wind and carrying twice as far.

The red-headed girl never stood a chance. Soon, the small crowd at her feet were nudging each other, pointing back towards the tiny child who sang just as well, if not better. They left the stage in favor of the stoop and the girl’s wide-brim hat, which had been filling steadily with coin, now lay not even half-full at her feet.

(Lila remembered looking over and seeing, with a start, the tears streaming down the girl’s face. But her Mother was smiling, so she put the girl from her mind.)

“You are a mirror, Little One,” Mother explained later, brushing errant flower petals from her dark hair as they sat within the tower. “You can copy to perfection any act you see before you. And there will always be people who would use your abilities to harm others, even sow chaos and ruin. So you must remain here until the time is right. When you are strong enough to fend for yourself, we will do wonders.”

That evening, from her window, Lila watched in wonder as fireworks lit up the horizon, the silvery white-and-gold flashes competing with the moon and all her stars for the night’s glory. 

(She wondered what it would be like to see them up close. Maybe next year Mother would let them stay longer.) 

As she grew, Lila’s outings with Mother became more frequent, and the commands for mimicry growing increasingly bizarre. They attended a circus, and then Lila was to swing on tree branches home like the trapeze artists she saw; she was given two notes, inked on parchment, and made to copy the subject of one with the handwriting of the other; she was to hide in an alley and speak to a stranger with another’s voice while Mother stood half hidden in shadows.

Lila was happy for these trips outside her tower, thrilled to be doing something that pleased Mother, but uncertain of what their true purpose was.

(Mother instituted a new rule - no more questions, please Little One, you’re giving me a headache.)

And then suddenly, when Lila was firmly a teenager, the trips stopped and the tower door remained locked.

(Lila had been breaking Mother’s rule with panache. There were consequences. The tantrum she threw in response was legendary.)

“I’m sorry, Little One, this breaks my heart,” Mother sighed, stroking Lila’s hair back from her tear-soaked face. “But it’s too dangerous right now. We’ll go on another trip soon, I promise. But for now, I need you here, safe and sound.”

To makeup for her indefinite grounding, Mother started gifting Lila with flower starts, for her fascination with all things flora had only grown since that first journey into the city. She had frequently begged Mother to let her return to the flower festival, pleaded to see the fireworks in person, but each request had been met with a resounding “no.”

“Now you can have your own flower festival,” Mother beamed. “We’ll turn the floor below into your own greenhouse, and it will be magnificent. Just you wait.”

The years wore on. 

Every morning, Lila awoke with the sun and tended to her garden, which had grown to cover three of the tower floors and was nearing the need to expand to a fourth. She would then train with her combat dummy until lunch, and then Mother would arrive. The tower door remained firmly locked, but she had installed a pulley-system to the bay window on the top floor. All she had to do was cry out and announce her presence, and Lila would lower the rope and platform to the grass below, pulling her back up hand-over-hand.

Sometimes Mother had a lesson planned, either pages for Lila to copy or training drills to run through. But mostly, she just wanted to complain.

(Lila didn’t know what the Commission was, didn’t recognize the names Mother so casually and venomously threw around, but she had learned her lesson long ago and knew better than to ask any questions.)

Mother would leave again following dinner, and Lila would be alone once more, reading or tending to her night-blooming plants. 

She could’ve left at any time, the pulley system always dangling ever so innocently against the wall, but she never even considered it. The world was a dark place, and as Mother always told her, she was not ready for what awaited her out there. Lila had no desire to go against Mother’s wishes, choosing instead to believe that she was almost ready and had only a little longer to wait.

But the outside world was tempting. Once a year, Lila would sit in the great bay window at the top of the tower, legs dangling in the air and heels bouncing against the stone, watching the firework display just beyond the tree-line. The great lights were so far away - their exploding _BOOM_ the faintest whisper in the night sky - but they seemed to carry with them the scent of flowers.

And Lila would stare at the fading lights and, against her better judgements, she would dream.

\- - -

Days before her twenty-first birthday, she and Mother got into a terrible fight. It had started when Mother had asked what she wanted as a gift, and the one thing Lila wanted more than anything else in the world was not an option.

“Why can’t I go to the festival?” Lila shrieked. “I’ll wear a hood, I’ll keep to myself! No one has to know I’m there.”

“Little One, I have already told you, I have an important meeting with the Commission this week. I cannot take you, and you cannot be trusted to go by yourself,” Mother said sharply.

“Don’t call me that!” Lila all but stamped her foot into the floor. “I am not a child! What have I been training for all these years if you don’t trust me to look after myself?”

“Lila, fighting is one thing, managing yourself around strangers is quite another,” Mother said. “And, my dear, you are nowhere near capable of handling yourself. This little tantrum only proves that.”

“And whose fault is that?” Lila felt like she was about to cry. “All my life you have kept me here all alone! If I am not ready, it’s because of you!”

“Enough!” Mother shot from her seat at the kitchen table and grabbed Lila roughly by the chin. “You are not leaving this tower - not now, not ever! Do I make myself clear?”

Now Lila was crying, sniffling pathetically. 

“Great, now _I’m_ the bad guy,” Mother sighed, releasing her steely grip and collapsing back into the chair.

“I-I’m sorry, Mother,” Lila whispered. “I won’t ask again, I promise.”

Mother opened her arms wide and Lila ran towards her, burying her face in the white hair about her neck. “Everything I do, I do to protect you,” Mother said, rubbing soft circles into her back. “I just need you to trust me. Can you do that, Little One?”

Lila nodded.

“Now, what if I brought you some lovely orchids when I come back, hmm?” Mother asked, pulling away and smiling at Lila. “And then we can celebrate your birthday together. I can bake you a cake and everything!”

“That sounds wonderful,” Lila lied.

(In the back of her mind, her decision had already been made. She just needed to be brave enough to act on it.)

“I love you very much, my dear,” Mother said.

“I love you more.”

“And I love you most.”

\- - - 

The Kraken was having a bad day.

(Actually, the Kraken had been having more than a few bad days, a whole slew of them in fact, and they all added up to bad weeks and worse months and horrible years.)

And it was so annoying, because the day had started out with things going so well.

But then, the guards of the Seven had been closing in around him, and as he had only so recently goaded them on by saying he’d rather be killed than taken alive, he’d known that he was in a fair spot of trouble. 

But, as he had raced through the dense forest at a break-neck speed, he had stumbled upon a passageway between two boulders - too thin for armored soldiers atop battle horses, but perfectly sized for one lone outlaw on the run.

The ravine path had twisted and turned before finally emptying out into a lush valley where a lone tower stood. There seemed to be no door to the tower, but the Kraken was skilled at most physical feats, climbing included. He scaled the high walls easily, and had just pulled himself inside the lone window at the top when a shadow had moved in his periphery, striking him across the head. Then, there had been only blackness. 

Now he was awake, head pounding, tied to a chair in the middle of a dim room, bereft of his precious knives and - most upsettingly - the pouch he’d secured to his waist.

(To have that taken from him, when its contents had been what had started this mess in the first place, was just adding insult to injury.)

He was more than a little angry.

“Where are you?” He shouted into the darkness. There were no candles lit, and all but one window had been closed, leaving just a sliver of sunlight across the wooden floor. Although he could not see his assailants, he could sense them. “Come out and face me like a man!”

It was not a man who stepped then into the single beam of light, but a young woman. Her features were sharp, her dark hair a thick cloud of unkempt curls and waves rolling past her shoulders, but her eyes were as black and as wide as the night sky, shining just as brightly. In her hands, she held one of his knives threateningly. 

“Who are you?” she asked in a low voice. “And how did you find me?”

She truly was beautiful, and would’ve maybe even been intimidating, but the sight of her bare feet beneath her teal dress endeared her to the Kraken in that moment. He instantly saw through her brave face, could almost taste the fear coming off of her like a perfume. 

And, well, he was not unknown to women.

“I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say…” and then he smiled and quirked his eyebrow, shot her a look that he had used many times as a younger man, a look that had granted him entry into many beds, and said, “hey. How’s your day going? They call me the Kraken, and if you untie me, I bet we could find better uses for this rope.”

And the girl…laughed. A manic sort of full-bellied laugh. “The Kraken? Does anyone actually take you seriously with a name like that?”

“Honey, I am the most wanted man in the kingdom,” he all but stuttered, confused by how unaffected she was to his proposition. “I have a reputation, one I’d be glad to share with you if you’d only untie me -”

“An outlaw?” The knife in her hand shot closer to his throat. “So that’s it, is it? You’re here to kidnap me? Use me for your crimes?”

“Listen, Crazy Lady - ”

“It’s Lila.”

“Whatever! Here's the thing: I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and - ” It was then that he saw past the knife held in his face to the hand holding it. 

“The bracelet!” He shouted, struggling with renewed force against his binds. “Where did you get that?”

“It was in that pouch you had with your knives,” Lila said, drawing her arm back sharply. She plucked at the plain wooden beads thoughtfully. “I take it this means something to you?”

“Be careful with it,” the Kraken insisted. “I went to a lot of trouble tracking that down and it’s _very important._ Please, you don’t understand, you have to give it back!” 

“Alright, _the Kraken_ , calm down,” Lila said. “I am prepared to offer you a deal. Are you familiar with the flower festival?”

“The what?”

“The flower festival!” She looked suddenly very unsure of herself. “The one that’s happening in the Capital tomorrow. With the fireworks?”

“You mean Starfall Day?” The Kraken asked.

“Starfall Day,” Lila repeated, her bright eyes gleaming for only a moment before she masked her features once more with a stern glare. “Here’s my deal - you will act as my guide, take me to the festival and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return this bracelet to you.”

“Yeah, no can do,” the Kraken said. “Unfortunately, the kingdom and I are not exactly _simpatico_ at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere.”

Lila bristled. “Something brought you here, Kraken. Call it what you will; fate, destiny - ”

“A battalion of very motivated soldiers.”

“ - so I have made the decision to trust you.”

“A horrible decision, really,” he grumbled.

“But trust me when I tell you this,” Lila threatened, her voice a low hiss and the knife reappearing just inches from his eye. “I have done nothing my entire life but train for combat. You will not find a more skilled fighter than me anywhere in this entire kingdom. So to get this bracelet back, you will either have to kill me, or trust me when I promise to return it to you _after_ the festival.”

The Kraken glowered at her and she matched his glare with just as much force.

“Fine!” He conceded finally. “I better live to regret this.”

(And he did. Sort of.)

\- - - 

Lila had been meaning to leave on her own, she really had. But her plants needed watering, and then weeding, and then there was dust all over the house, and then she got hungry and needed to cook quickly, which then required the pots and pans to be washed and dried…

And with one thing and another, Lila had wasted the first day of Mother’s absence trying to convince herself to leave and failing miserably. 

Mother would be furious if she knew of Lila’s disobedience, of course, but that was the beauty of this plan: Mother never _needed_ to know.

Or did she?

No, Lila would be gone and back before Mother even noticed. So she would never need to lie to Mother, just carefully conceal the truth.

She was such a horrible daughter. All Mother had ever done was care for her, train her to be strong and independent, and in turn she had only requested this one thing of Lila, which she now proved incapable of following.

But, on the other hand, when would Mother ever trust her to take care of herself? Rebellion was only natural - she’d understand.

Or maybe this would break her heart.

“Y’know, I can't help but notice that you seem to be a little at war with yourself here,” the Kraken said to Lila as they walked through the forest. 

(She was so used to being alone that she hadn’t realized she had been speaking her thoughts aloud.)

“Maybe Starfall Day isn’t a good idea, after all,” he continued with a beleaguered sigh. “What if you gave me back the bracelet now, I return you to your tower, and we try this again next year?”

“Nice try,” Lila scoffed. “Keep walking.”

\- - -

It’s not that Mother didn’t trust Lila, she did. She had, after all, raised her to be obedient and faithful, made sure that Lila’s entire little world circled around her and her wishes alone.

But she had seen the flash of defiance in her daughter’s eyes.

(And she had not gotten so far in this world by not trusting her instincts.)

The tower was empty when she returned, and even though she had been expecting it to be, her rage was boundless. 

After she had cooled down, Mother thought the situation over carefully. She knew where Lila was headed - the foolish child had already shown her hand - and, well, wasn’t every challenge in life just an opportunity for a lesson?

The Swede brothers were easy to find. They stood out in a crowd - all three were tall and white haired, their accents thick and foreign. 

“This is a personal mission, one that must be kept just between the four of us,” Mother instructed. “No one at the Commission must ever learn the truth or else my daughter’s life may be forfeit. I am not asking this of you as your Shadow Handler, but as a mother who just wants her child back. Please, you must find my Lila, you must bring her back to me.”

“And if she is not alone?” the eldest croaked, his voice faint from lack of use.

“Kill anyone who stands in your way,” Mother insisted. “Just bring my daughter home.”

\- - -

They were in the thickest part of the forest when they came across the first wanted sign. The Kraken tried to steer Lila away from it, but she ducked under his arm and tore the poster down from where it had been tacked to a tree.

_WANTED BY THE SEVEN: THE KRAKEN. OUTLAW._

“This is you?” She asked, amazed. The inked headshot showed a younger man with a long scar across his clean-shaven cheek, scowling eyes, and military-cropped short hair.

“Obviously not, that looks nothing like me,” the Kraken said dismissively. And he wasn’t wrong - the man in front of her was older, had long, reddish brown wavy hair and a shaggy goatee. But still…

“It says your name on it, look!”

“The Kraken is a very common name in this kingdom for outlaws.”

“No, this is definitely you - it’s the same eyes and everything,” Lila giggled. 

She grinned as he turned to glare at her, and it became absolutely obvious that the young man in the wanted poster was her guide.

(It was impressive that the artist had been able to so accurately capture that bitter look.)

The Kraken was beginning to grow on her - she liked his gruffness, liked that she could so easily poke at him, liked that his responding anger never felt like it carried the threat of violence. For once in her life, she was having… _fun_. It was a new feeling and it made her giddy.

“I guess you weren’t lying about your reputation then,” Lila said, studying the sheet as they continued down the forest path. “Who are the Seven, anyways?”

“You’re joking.” The Kraken glanced down at her in surprise. “Really? You don’t know of the Seven?”

“‘Course I do, that was just a test,” Lila said uneasily. “But if I didn’t - which I obviously do - well, what would you say?”

“I would say you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years,” the Kraken laughed. “Or, I guess in your case, in a remote tower in the woods.”

“Ha ha,” Lila stuck her tongue out at him and he only rolled his eyes. “Seriously though.”

The Kraken groaned. “Once upon a time, seven stars fell onto the kingdom and infected seven babies with extraordinary abilities,” he recited, as if he had heard this story a million times. “Each of the babies was adopted by Lady Grace and her husband, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, advisor to the late King and Queen. Actually, you probably don’t know this - the King and Queen were murdered in their beds just about twenty years ago.”

“No,” Lila gasped. “That’s horrible! Who did it?”

“No one knows,” the Kraken said, his voice becoming more serious for his rapt audience. “But whoever did it stole the Princess from her crib. Most people think they killed her too. After that night, Sir Reginald ruled as steward of the land with Lady Grace, although she wasn’t much for leading, to be quite honest. The people hated him and didn’t care much for her, but they loved their children, called them ‘star-touched’ and thought of them as miracles, especially when they started exhibiting powers.”

“Powers?” Lila struggled to keep her voice even. “What sort of powers?”

“Different ones.” The Kraken started ticking off his fingers. “Super strength, trajectory manipulation, mind control, communing with the dead, teleportation, monster summoning, and the last one can control sound waves and cause explosions. Pretty standard stuff, I guess.”

“Right,” Lila nodded along. “And those are the only ones with powers? There aren’t anymore?”

“Nope, just the Seven,” the Kraken said. “About five years ago though, Sir Reginald died - natural causes and no one’s really missed him much, the bastard. But there was no way Lady Grace could rule on her own, so she had her children do it. They’re officially the Council of the Seven, although they’re technically only in power until the rightful heir can be found.”

“The Princess?” Lila asked. “I thought you said she was dead.”

“If she’s dead, then where’s the body?” The Kraken asked darkly. “No, I think she’s still out there, somewhere. There’s something weird about her whole story, and I think the answer to that will reveal who took her and why.”

“The bracelet,” Lila realized. “You think the bracelet is the key to figuring it out?”

“I think it’s part of it.” The Kraken grabbed her arm suddenly and turned her to face him. His eyes were very warm up close, very intense. She could just see the ends of the scar on his cheek through the waves of his hair. 

(She had never been so close to a man before. The heat of his palm through her sleeve made her stomach flutter. She wished he’d let her go and move away. She wished he would close the space between them, maybe touch her more, maybe even kiss her.)

“That’s why it’s so important you give it back, Lila,” he said. “I mean it, the fate of the kingdom could depend on it.”

“A deal’s a deal,” she said, mouth dry. “You’ll get it back after the festival. But I’ll be more careful with it. I promise.”

\- - -

Lila didn’t want to stop for lunch, but the Kraken insisted. After all, it was a long walk to the Capital and they couldn’t do it on an empty stomach.

“Fine,” she agreed. “But somewhere quiet, okay? I don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention.”

The Kirtland's Warbler Tavern looked like as good choice as any from the outside. But the minute they walked through the door, it became apparent how wrong their assessment had been.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” The barman asked, announcing their presence to the assortment of ruffians and thugs who sat about the tables. “Now this is a face I think I have seen before.”

He was older - his black hair and beard peppered with white - and as wide as he was tall, but he moved with the speed and agility of a younger man. Quick as anything, he slammed the Kraken against the bar top while a woman jumped up from a barstool and grabbed Lila’s arms, pinning them behind her back.

“Lila!” The Kraken bellowed, fighting to get free.

The barman produced from his pocket the dreaded wanted poster and held it next to the Kraken’s face, comparing the two.

“That don’t look anything like him,” the woman holding Lila said, her hands hard and immoveable as steel. “I think your vision’s going, Hazel.”

“Wait just a moment, Cha-Cha, I think you may be mistaken,” Hazel said thoughtfully. The Kraken struggled against his grip, but the barman seemed to exert no effort in holding him still. “Although they may appear different, I am certain this is the very same fellow here. Look, they’ve got the same eyes and everything.”

“Let him go!” Lila hollered, and she twisted against her captor’s arms, just as she had been taught, breaking her hold and stumbling free. The woman, Cha-Cha, bellowed in pain as Lila broke her grip, falling hard against a nearby table. 

In a flash, Lila jumped up on the bar, grabbing a knife from where it lay next to a forgotten dish, and held it to the barman’s face. 

“We don’t want any trouble,” she panted. “Just let him go and we’ll be on our way.” 

“Little lady, not a soul here wants any trouble,” Hazel said. His voice had not once wavered from affable and genial, even with a knife in his face, but he held the Kraken firmly, making no move to free him. 

“Shit, now I want some trouble,” Cha-Cha growled. She held a sword in one hand and a dirk in the other, her black eyes murderous and set on Lila. “C’mon Hazel, just this once? This little bitch needs to be taught a lesson, and think of what we could do with that bounty!”

“Cha-Cha, we’re retired,” Hazel said patiently, still blatantly ignoring Lila’s blade in his face. “Which means we’re no longer swords for hire. Was it not you who said - so poetically, as I recall - ‘fuck the Commission, fuck the Seven, let’s fuck away somewhere in the woods,’ which is precisely what we’ve done? ”

“To hold my words said in anger against me now in such a changed context is not only belittling, but insulting,” Cha-Cha snapped. She stalked forward, her long sword just brushing the hem of Lila’s dress. “As I have amended countless times, you may be retired, but I am merely on an extended vacation, and this skinny pup here may have just forced my hand. Go on, Hazel, it’ll be like the old days; you hold her down and I’ll skin her whole. And after, we can split the bounty for scruffy there, fifty-fifty!”

“Try it, I dare you!” Lila shouted, her voice wavering just a little. She swung her knife, knocking away the point of Cha-Cha’s blade with a sickening _CLANG_. “You want to fight? Say the word and I will gut you, I swear!”

“Lila, get _out of here_!” The Kraken shouted.

“Oh, this is going to be _fun_ ,” Cha-Cha grinned. “I did always like to play with my food first.”

“Little lady, there will be no gutting of anyone in my wife’s tavern,” Hazel said, his voice loud and stern. “Nor any skinning of persons whole, Cha-Cha. You know Agnes’s rules - no blood, no bounty, and no bargaining. If you move against this girl here I will have no choice but to stop you.”

“So it’s come to this!”Cha-Cha cried. “You would choose this girl and her little pet over me?”

“No. But, I would choose my wife,” Hazel said.

“Fuck that wrinkly old slut, and fuck you too!” Cha-Cha shrieked. 

And then she lunged forward, her sword slicing through the air aimed at Lila’s exposed shins. With a cry, Lila jumped backwards, just missing the swinging arc of the blade, but tumbling gracelessly off the bar top and landing with a pained thud onto the packed dirt floor next to Hazel’s legs.

“I’m getting my bounty, Hazel!” Cha-Cha screamed. “And I’ll be back for you, little girl!”

“Don’t let her escape!” Hazel roared to the patrons. 

Lila watched dazedly from the floor as he finally released the Kraken and drew his sword. She heard the room fill with the sharp sound of blades being drawn from their scabbards, a good deal of shuffling and shouting, and then the unmistakeable creak and groan of the door being thrown open and slammed shut once more.

(The Kraken and Lila could not, in good faith, be blamed for this fight. The tensions mounting between Hazel and Cha-Cha had been growing for years. Lila and the Kraken had merely been the spark that lit the kindling of resentment into a monstrous blaze.)

“Lila! Lila, are you okay?” The Kraken was at her side, pulling her up from where she’d fallen.

“I’m fine,” Lila said shakily.

(In truth, her back ached from where she had hit the ground, she’d bitten her tongue when she landed, and her pride smarted something fierce, but she wasn't seriously hurt.)

“So when you said you were the best trained fighter in the kingdom, you failed to mention that you’d never actually _been_ in a fight,” the Kraken muttered, pushing her hair back from her face, eyes searching for any hidden hurts. His tone was bitter, but he was smiling softly, and it made her stomach flutter once more.

“It didn’t seem important,” she grumbled, pushing away from him and pulling herself to her feet. “And between the two of us, at least _I_ got free and got my hand on a weapon, unlike you. Did you just let him capture you or - ”

“Oh dear.” The lady of the bar - it could only have been the aforementioned Agnes - appeared then, carrying a plate of pastries and looking at the scene around her, distraught. “I thought I had made it clear that no weapons were to be drawn in my establishment.”

“It’s my fault, my dear,” Hazel said, quickly sheathing his sword and gesturing for the other patrons to do the same. He nodded his head to the Kraken and Lila. “Those two came in, and that one there is the fella from all the wanted posters. I grew a little over-excited in my discovery and Cha-Cha took it as her cue to un-retire herself for the bounty. We tried to stop her but…you know how Cha-Cha is.”

“My, well that is regrettable,” Agnes said sincerely. She put her plate down and peered past her husband to Lila the Kraken. “And you two weren’t looking for any trouble, were you? _Tsk._ You poor dears.”

“What is this place?” Lila asked. Something in Hazel and Cha-Cha’s fight had caught her attention. “Are you with the Commission?”

“We _were_ ,” Hazel said sharply. “But no longer. All of us here are ex-soldiers and assassins, either for the Commission or the kingdom. But we have all sworn to never kill for either of them again - we are all of us done with that life.”

“Sorry, what does the Commission do, exactly?” Lila asked.

“Terrible things, my dear,” Agnes said gravely. “They create chaos and ruin across the land.”

(“There will always be people who would use your abilities to harm others, even sow chaos and ruin,” Mother warned. “So you must remain here until the time is right. When you are strong enough to fend for yourself, we will do wonders.”)

“And if the kingdom has a price on your head, young man,” Agnes continued. “You can bet the Commission has one for twice the amount of gold. I’m certain that’s who Cha-Cha would’ve gone to first.”

Lila’s head was spinning. She gripped the Kraken’s sleeve. “They can’t find us,” she whispered hoarsely. “My mother is with the Commission. If they find us, they’ll take me back to her.”

“She’s _what_?” The Kraken asked, aghast. “You’re only just mentioning this _now_?”

Agnes and Hazel shared a look.

“You two need to leave, and quickly,” Hazel said. “Put as much distance between yourselves and this place as you can. Don’t speak to anyone else between here and the Capital, and keep to the trees.”

“I’ll pack you some food for the road,” Agnes said, rushing past them behind the counter and rustling through the cabinets and unfinished dishes that still sat there. “Let’s see, apples, cheese, bread…and how about some donuts? Nothing better for the road-weary soul than donuts.”

\- - -

“I came to you first because you three are legendary at the hunt,” Cha-Cha said. “And, as I am suddenly bereft of a partner, I am in need of new friends.”

“You say you seek outlaw traveling with girl?” The eldest one asked. “Describe.”

“She’s got dark skin, black eyes and hair. Wears a teal dress, goes by Lila,” Cha-Cha said with sneer. “And that skinny little cunt is mine, do you hear? I am going to bleed her like a stuck pig and - ”

The middle brother silenced her, slamming a knife through her throat. She fell to the ground, gurgling pitifully, and then there was only quiet.

“We’re getting close.”

\- - -

Hazel and Agnes had warned them to keep to the trees, but the canyon path at the edge of the forest was the quickest way into the borders of the Capital. The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows from boulders and craggy rock walls, when Lila and the Kraken realized that they had walked right into a trap.

“Took you long enough,” said a young boy, perched innocently on a rock ledge. He was dressed in fine looking leathers and satin and had an air of annoying insouciance about him. “We’ve been waiting for quite some time.”

“Fuck,” the Kraken swore, coming to an abrupt halt and throwing his arm out to stop Lila from going any further. “How did you find me, Five?”

“He didn’t,” said another voice from just ahead of them. This belonged to a woman, who emerged from the shadows into the dying light and seemed to glow from it; her golden curls a lion’s mane, her shining smile all teeth. “I had heard a rumor you’d been spotted. And so close to the Capital, after all this time? You may be losing your edge, brother dear.”

“Brother?” Lila asked.

(She looked hard at the Kraken, then at the woman and the young boy he had called Five. Not one of them shared even the faintest hint of family resemblance.) 

“Allison,” the Kraken grit out, his own smile matching her predatory grin. “I can’t possibly have been worth the effort for you to leave your comfy little throne unattended.”

Allison’s laugh was high and piercing. “Not normally, no. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the look on your face when you’d realized you’d been caught,” she said. “We’re going home now. All of us.”

“Oh really? You’ll have to catch us first,” the Kraken taunted. He was backing up slowly, forcing Lila further behind him, reaching backwards and grasping a long knife from his belt.

“That shouldn’t be too difficult, I think,” Allison said. She snapped her fingers and a small cadre of soldiers appeared around the canyon ledge. She and Five shared a smirk before she turned back to Lila and the Kraken. “I heard - ”

But whatever she heard was cut off in a scream as the Kraken threw his knife with unbelievable aim. It arced through the air and pierced the exaggerated shoulder of Allison’s jerkin, pinning her to the boulder.

“You _asshole_!” she shrieked, struggling to pull the knife away. “You almost hit me!”

“Sorry sis!” The Kraken grabbed Lila’s hand and yelled, “Now, run!”

The thundering of the many armored feet followed them as they raced across the canyon floor, but they had only made it a few steps when there was a flash of blue light and Five appeared before them, smiling smugly. He gave them no time to react, but moved swiftly into an attack. The Kraken moved too slowly, but Lila mirrored the boy’s strike, matching his speed and blocking his blow. 

They turned to run again, but Allison was ready, jerkin gone and flanked by her soldiers.

“Don’t let her speak or we’re done for!” The Kraken yelled to Lila, and he threw himself towards his sister and her battalion, meeting their attack head-on. 

Lila had trained as a fighter all her life, but it was becoming steadily apparent that practicing against a combat dummy was so very different from the real thing. Between the soldiers closing in and this young boy who seemed to be able to teleport around her, avoiding her kicks and punches with ease, she was not fairing well.

“You’re better than you look like you should be!” She couldn’t help but be impressed with the boy’s skills.

“And you’re entirely average,” the boy scoffed from behind her. She yelped as he kicked her squarely in the back, sending her tumbling to the rocky floor.

(But that was the thing, Lila was anything _but_ average. Even as the soldiers grabbed her, she felt the pull somewhere in her breastbone that spoke to a certainty that maybe, just _maybe_ if she could mirror voices and actions so well, then maybe she could do _more_ \- )

But it was then that the first volley of arrows came flying at them from a crack in the canyon wall. 

The soldiers holding Lila fell as they were struck, their bodies shielding her from danger. From behind their limp arms, she could just make out the receding figures of two men, both tall and fair with shockingly white hair.

“Friends of yours?” The Kraken shouted at Five as he ducked a wild kick from his sister, her focus undeterred by the new attackers.

“Swede brothers, Commission assassins, most likely after you, asshole,” Five snapped. “Look out!”

Another shower of arrows came raining down on them, this time from above. They would’ve all been struck, had not the Kraken pushed his sister aside and held up his hands, somehow holding the arrows back in mid-air. His arms shook with the effort, but with a shout, he seemed to _push_ them back towards the archer.

There was a pained cry, and suddenly a body came tumbling down from the canyon ledge, landing with a sickening _THUD_ at their feet.

“ _NO_!”

The two men came running out from behind their shielding boulder, their pale faces contorted in rage. One fell upon their fallen brother, wailing over his corpse, while the other drew his sword, pointing it at Lila. 

“We come for girl,” he cried. “But now we kill all! _Öga för öga!_ ”

“I think your Mother’s found us.” The Kraken appeared and grabbed Lila’s arm, his face pale in the twilight. “We have to go, _now_!”

They took off racing, the darkening shadows masking their flight. Behind them, the clashes of swords and the screams of fighting men rang out.

“Are your siblings going to be alright?” Lila panted, scurrying to keep up.

“They can take care of themselves,” the Kraken said. “Here!”

He pulled them under a low out-cropping of stone, and they burrowed as far back as they could. Above them, they could hear the _POP_ and _CRACKLE_ of Five teleporting around, followed closely by Allison’s voice calling out for them to show themselves. 

“C’mon, we have to keep moving,” Lila insisted, but the Kraken held her back.

“It’s no use,” he gasped, and it was then that Lila saw the arrow shaft buried into the side of his stomach.

She cried out at the sight, her hands going to his chest and his face, helplessly searching for something she could do to fix this. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whimpered. 

“It’s fine, hey Lila, don’t cry, it’s not that bad, I’m going to be okay,” the Kraken grimaced. “But I can’t fight my siblings and those Swedes like this. I’m just…I’m sorry I let you down.”

“This is all my fault, Kraken,” Lila whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Diego,” he said then, covering her hand with his. “My name is Diego Hargreeves, and I’m one of the Seven. I guess now’s as good a time as any for the truth, huh?”

(And even in that moment, when all hope seemed loss, his choice to share his secret with her made her heart skip and cheeks warm. She could be honest with him too, then. It was only fair.)

Lila gave a watery laugh. “The truth is…I’m a mirror. That’s why Mother kept me in that tower all these years. I can mimic anyone - their voice, their actions, anything.”

“Anything?”

“Found you!” Allison appeared before them, her face bright with triumph, Five lingering right behind her. “I heard a rumor - ”

(And Lila knew then, without a doubt, that she could mimic _anything_.)

“I heard a rumor you turned around and went home,” Lila said. 

And she felt something click within her, like a lock had been opened. A force rippled out from her like a gust of wind, and she watched in fascination as whatever it was hit Allison and Five, turning their eyes white.

“How did you - ?” Five began before, seemingly beyond his control, he disappeared in a cloud of blue light. 

“You are in so much trouble, Diego!” Allison screamed with frustration, her body seizing, muscles visibly shaking as she tried to fight off whatever had grabbed a hold of her. “Just wait until I tell mom about this!” She turned an axis and began walking unsteadily away from them, as if she were being controlled by a puppeteer. 

“C’mon Diego, we have to move,” Lila insisted when Allison finally disappeared from sight, pulling at his arm.

“You…” Diego winced as she pulled him too hard. “Lila, the Swedes…we’ll never make it far enough with me like this…”

“Don’t worry, I think I’ve got that covered,” she said, grinning through the manic beating of her pulse. 

She held Diego tight and closed her eyes, concentrating and searching once more for that lock within herself. She felt another click behind her breastbone, and with a blue flash, Lila teleported them far away from the canyon.

\- - -

“You have powers.”

“Diego, hold still I need to cauterize this - ”

“You’re star-touched!” Diego leaned up on his elbows, staring at Lila in wonder.

(He was bare-chested, stripped so she could treat the arrow in his stomach. Blood aside, the sight of his skin in the firelight was incredibly distracting. Even as she worked, she couldn’t help but stare.)

“You’re like us, you’re - _ow, fuck!_ ”

Lila pressed the fire-heated edge of his knife to the wound on his stomach, effectively shutting him up. 

They had been exceedingly lucky that Diego’s leather jacket had softened the arrow’s impact, making it easy to tear from his body, leaving only a small hole in his abdomen that bled profusely but would leave no lasting damage. Luckier still that Lila had been able to teleport them away from the battle to a secluded riverbank where they felt safe enough to light a small fire.

“Stop talking such nonsense, I’m only a mimic,” she muttered as she began ripping at the hem of her dress. “There’s nothing extraordinary or ‘star-touched’ about that.”

“Lila, you didn’t just copy someone’s voice back there - you used Allison’s power against her,” Diego insisted, sitting up gingerly. “You teleported us here! You can’t just _mimic_ that, you have to be special to pull that off. And you are special, trust me. I know a thing or two about having powers.”

“Yes, let’s discuss that, shall we?” Lila asked. She grabbed the length of her torn hem and began wrapping it tightly around his lower torso. Her face was close enough to his body now that she could feel heat of him against her cheeks, could see the gooseflesh rising along his chest.

She cleared her throat. “Diego Hargreeves. Not the Kraken - the outlaw - but star-touched himself, one of the Seven. Am I missing anything else here?”

“No, that about sums it up,” Diego grunted, hissing in pain as Lila tightened the fabric around him. She tied it off in a neat knot and handed him his shirt, which he pulled on with only some difficulty.

(She definitely did not stare as his skin disappeared behind the cotton and cloth. But she may have peeked just to watch how his muscles stretched and bunched as his arms lifted overhead.)

“So what’s with the wanted posters then?”

“I ran away from home when I was seventeen,” Diego explained. “Kind of embarrassing for them, I suppose, so they never told anyone, just pretended I was a recluse or away on a secret mission or something. But Five - the little teleporting shit - he’s pretty good at learning secrets. ‘Bout a year or so ago, I guess, they figured I was using the name ‘Kraken,’ that’s when those posters started appearing everywhere.”

“But why run away in the first place?” Lila asked. “And why not go home now? They’re looking for you, so you know they want you to come back. They must miss you.”

(She had been so lonely her entire life, talking to the dresses in her closet, playing make believe with the kitchen cutlery. The idea of having one sibling - let alone six - seemed like a dream come true. She didn’t understand who would possibly choose to give that up.)

Diego shrugged and threw a twig into the fire. “And I miss them too. But I left because I was seventeen and it seemed like a good idea. I was in way over my head - my dad was dead, my siblings and I were being asked to rule, and I…” he broke off and shook his head ruefully. “We’re all star-touched, we have these powers that could help people. All my life, the seven of us had trained to fight, but we never _actually_ did anything with our gifts. And I just thought, with my dad gone, it was my chance to try and do something. Be a hero.”

“I thought you were an outlaw?” Lila asked, smiling softly.

“Yeah, well doing the right thing isn’t always the same thing as following the rules,” Diego laughed.

The idea was so absurd that Lila began to laugh. “I would love to see my mother’s face if she heard anyone say that,” she giggled. “I think the shock alone would kill her.”

“Your mother, the one who works for the Commission?”

Instantly, Lila’s smiled faded. She busied herself digging through the bag of food Agnes had given them, unearthing a bruised apple and tossing it - none too gently - at Diego.

“I know what you’re going to say, so you can save your breath,” Lila said bitterly, tearing off a hunk of hard bread for herself. “She’s not a bad person. She just - ”

“Keeps you locked in a tower and lied to you about being star-touched?”

“You said yourself that there were only seven stars that fell, seven star-touched kids,” Lila pointed out. “So how could she be lying about that? I’m not denying that I’m special, but not like you are. And with a gift like mine…I could really do some damage. So I may not like it, but I understand why she keeps my hidden. She loves me and she’s only doing what she thinks is right.”

(And maybe she wasn’t just trying to convince him, maybe she was trying to keep herself convinced as well.)

Diego was quiet, his knife slowly revolving around the apple in his hand. She watched him loosen the red skin, watched it spiral into a thin, unbroken line, revealing the white flesh beneath. He was very pointedly not looking at her.

“I know what it’s like, Lila, to love dangerous people,” he said finally. “And I know how difficult it can be for them to express how much they love you in turn. Now, I don’t know your mom but you just…you have to be careful, okay? Because if you’re putting yourself in harm’s way for someone, you have to be certain they’d do the same for you.”

“She would. She loves me,” Lila repeated, stronger this time.

(Quieter, less sure, in her own head.)

“Then there you go,” Diego said. He cut off an apple slice and handed it to her. “Maybe she has a reason for being with the Commission. Maybe she was forced into it, or is there to keep you safe. Maybe she’s even a spy.”

“You think?” Lila accepted the apple slice and bit into it, trying to focus on the sweet tang of it instead of the uncertainties circling her thoughts.

“Stranger things have happened,” he said with a shrug. “Tell you what, if you still want to go back home after the festival, you could keep tabs on her - do some digging now that you know what you’re looking for. And I can come check-in on you when she’s not there, make sure you’re okay.”

“You would do that?” Lila’s question was a whisper, faint as the hiss of the fire between them.

(She hadn’t realized there was a third option - it had always been either _go_ or _stay_. But now he’d given her an alternative. He was offering to be her lifeline, her safety net, her open door to the outside world.)

(She didn’t love him, not yet, not after just one day. But years later, she would trace the start of it back to this moment.)

Diego looked away quickly, shrugging with painfully feigned indifference. “Sure. What are friends for?”

“Is that what we are, friends?” Lila grinned and held out her hand for another apple slice. “I’ve never had a real friend before.”

“Oh, well then you probably don’t know the rules, the first of which is: Friends don’t steal each other’s bracelets.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Lila stuck her tongue out at him. “Friends don’t lie to friends about the rules of friendship, I know that much.”

She stretched out across the grass, staring up at the patch of night sky visible through the trees. Tomorrow the stars would be festooned with fireworks, would serve as the backdrop to thousands of petals swirling on the wind like snow. She had been dreaming of this day for so long that it seemed impossible that it was now only a few hours away.

Closing her eyes, Lila wished as hard as she could on every twinkling light that she could see. _I hope it’s as I’ve imagined it, I hope it’s exactly like how I remember it. I hope it’s worth it. I hope it’s worth all this._

(And it was. Just not in the ways she thought it was going to be.)


	2. Chapter 2

\- - -

The Starfall Day Festival was almost exactly how she remembered it, just somehow even better. The sun was shining brighter than it had in her memory, the sky a deeper shade of blue, and the flowers bigger, more radiant and colorful than any she had ever seen before.

There were golden sunflowers that towered over thatched roofs; buttery yellow primroses woven into crowns; violently pink snapdragons hanging over doorframes; midnight-dark hyacinth stalks waved around by children like wands; asters and daisies tucked behind ears; orchids delicately arranged in clay pots; and the scent of freesias filling the air.

Lila didn’t know where to begin. She ran from stall to stall in the market square, examining each ware like it was a special treasure, running her fingers along the soft petals of the flowers, gawking at the piles of food being sold from pushcarts. And everywhere she turned, she heard the screams of laughter and the competing symphonies of different instruments playing over one another. 

(It was too much. It was wonderful and scary and magnificent and everything she had ever wanted.)

She was thankful for Diego’s tight grip on her hand as she scurried among the throngs of people, grateful for his anchoring presence when the crowds became too much. He seemed to recognize the exact moment she became overwhelmed, carefully guiding her to a low wall where they could sit and rest, and made no judgemental comments about it.

A marble fountain gurgled softly by them, its outer rim decorated with painted pebbles and thrown flowers, its basin shimmering with coins. Behind the water feature was a mosaic - a man displayed in rich, royal purple with a golden sun sitting just above his right shoulder, and a woman in mossy greens, the sliver of a pale moon below her left elbow. They were connected by a violet sky dotted with tiny, white stars, and they held a ruby-red baby between them.

“That’s King Ronald and Queen Anita,” Diego said, noticing Lila’s gaze. “And that’s the Princess. It’s a wishing fountain - people come and pay a tribute to them and pray for the Princess’s safe return.”

“Does anyone actually think that’ll work?” Lila asked, examining the long-dead monarchs. The colored stone only revealed so much detail and their faces remained a blur.

“Not sure,” Diego admitted. “But it’s good for people to have hope.”

The day was wonderfully warm for early Autumn, but Diego wore his hooded cloak in order to avoid detection. He looked deeply uncomfortable, and the dark color seemed to make him standout more amongst the bright swirl of colors.

“Go on, take it off,” Lila needled as they walked among the crowd. “No one here is going to recognize you.”

“My brothers and sisters will be here today,” he reminded her. “So the hood stays on, thank you very much.”

He bought them iced, lemony drinks loaded with sugar and bags of honest-sweetened dates before directing her towards the performance tents. They sat on rickety wooden benches under striped, satin linens to watch puppet shows for children, daring feats of acrobatics, soliloquies and short scenes acted out by local players, and musical duets belted out by soaring sopranos who were accompanied by rich, earthy baritones. 

(Lila looked for the red-headed girl but did not see her anywhere.)

They emerged some time later to find the center of the main square cleared away to make room for dancing. A band was in full swing, violins peeling through a gig, and couples spinning arm-in-arm in a wide circle.

Lila tugged on Diego’s arm, meaning to join the fun, but he resisted.

“I don’t dance,” he grumbled.

“Neither do I,” Lila grinned. “Don’t worry, just follow my lead.”

They joined the fray, Lila taking the man’s position with her arm around Diego’s waist, guiding him through the frenzied steps. Some stared at the obvious role reversal, but they were enjoying themselves too much to even notice. Even Diego’s annoyed frown melted away after a few moments, and he was laughing, allowing himself to be dipped and spun about, his smile bright and carefree.

One song led into two, melted into a third and a fourth. By sunset proper, when the bandbegan to pack-up to prepare for the fireworks, Lila and Diego were both breathless, clinging to each other and pleasantly tired.

“C’mon,” Diego said, lacing his fingers through hers and tugging her away from the square.

“But the fireworks will be starting soon!” Lila protested, dragging her heels.

“We’ve got some time before they start,” Diego said. “And besides, I know where we can get the best view of them in the entire kingdom.”

(His face was so beautifully flushed, his eyes so dark and his smile so broad, that Lila knew she was in more than a little bit of trouble.)

\- - -

On the top of a hill just behind the palace, Diego helped Lila over a tall fence into an abandoned garden. It was clear this place had once been kept with care - the obvious footpaths and designed rows of roses indicating careful forethought and planning - but it had long since been left to ruin. Flowerbeds exploded with uncontrolled blossoms; weeds choked the dirt; algae bloomed rich and potent across reflecting pools; grass grew unrestrained between cracked stones; and vines crept over the hanging tree boughs.

“What is this place?” Lila asked in amazement.

“This was the Queen’s private garden,” Diego said. He finally unclasped his cloak and spread it across a patch of grass. “She apparently had quite a green thumb. After she died, no one could bear to come in here so they just locked the gate and left it alone. But my brothers and sisters and I used to sneak in here as kids - it’s great for hide-and-seek.”

“Not a bad view, either,” Lila said, sitting down next to him. From their perch in the garden, the whole Capital was spread out below them, every curving street and tiny house visible past the gabbled palace roof.

The golden-red sky was slowly turning deep pink, the edges nearing purple as the sun sank below the horizon, the first stars of twilight blinking into sight.

“Thank you,” Lila said, knocking her shoulder against Diego’s. “For letting me strong-arm you into bringing me here today. It was…perfect.”

“If you ever tell this story to anyone, let’s not say ‘strong-armed,’ it doesn’t make me look very good,” Diego chuckled. “How about instead you tell people that I heroically rescued you from your tower for an adventure?”

“No one is going to believe _I_ needed any rescuing,” Lila said with a roll of her eyes. “And who would I tell this story to anyways, my mother?”

Diego tipped his head back, considering the darkening sky. “You’ll leave home eventually, when you’re ready,” he said. “And you’ll have plenty of stories to tell to all the people you’ll meet. Just make sure I look good in this one, I have a reputation, after all.”

“Your reputation, how could I forget,” Lila said. “The Kraken, most wanted man in the kingdom, secretly a runaway, star-touched noble. Expert tower-climber, deadly with a knife, and able to stop a speeding arrow with a wave of his hand.”

“You forgot wickedly handsome,” he winked.

Lila knocked her shoulder into his again, much harder, trying to distract from the rising flush in her cheeks.

“Here,” Diego said suddenly, and he handed Lila a small box. Inside lay a golden disk no larger than a coin, stamped with the imprint of a lily, connected to a long, thin chain.

“Figured you would need some new jewelry after I got my bracelet back,” he explained. “But I thought you’d probably want something you could hide from your mom, so hopefully the chain is long enough.”

“This is…” She ran her finger along the necklace, lost for words. “This is so nice. Thank you, I…will you help me get it on?”

She handed him back the box and turned slightly, brushing her hair over one shoulder and offering him the bare expanse of her neck.

(She blamed the cool night breeze for the way she shivered as he clasped the necklace about her throat, his long fingers brushing her skin. It was a weak lie.)

“So? How does it look?” She asked.

“Good.” His voice was soft, and he stared at her - silhouetted against the sunset, glowing with happiness - and she watched his eyes darken, intensify. “Really good.”

And he leaned forward, kissing her softly.

(Things were happening just a little too fast for her - the festival, the twilight air, the necklace, the kissing. She was suddenly panicked. And had he not tried this tactic before in the tower to confuse her?)

So, without thinking, Lila slapped Diego across the face. He yelled out, falling hard onto his back.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, voice pitched high and wavering.

“I don’t understand you!” he cried. But he made no move to leave her, no move to reach for her again, just laid prone on his back, giving her the space she needed.

(It wasn’t a test, per se, but if it had been, well, then he would’ve passed.)

Lila acted on instinct, draping her body over his and kissing him soundly. Diego was alive under her in an instant, mouth opening against hers with a pleased groan. He curled his hands into her hair, pulling her harder against him, only to hiss sharply and lean back a moment later.

“What is it? Too much?”

“No, my stomach.” He brushed her hair back from her face, drawing her back down, slower this time. “Just…be gentle.”

Lila only grinned against his lips in response. 

(She was not known to men, not like this. But unlike their dance, she was more than happy to let him lead her through the motions.)

\- - -

The night air was cool and made her shiver. Even the warmth of Diego’s bareness against hers had not been enough to drive away the chill. He insisted they dress again afterwards, but pulled her back against him once her dress had been securely re-laced.

Lila was startled from the comfort of her pleasurable haze by the first firework. It shot through the darkness and exploded overhead as bright as a noonday, the resounding _BOOM_ echoing deeply in her chest.

“They’re so much louder up close!” She laughed, burying her face into Diego’s chest. She could feel his responding chuckle as strongly as the kiss he planted in her hair.

The fireworks continued golden, silver and red at set intervals, sometimes forming shapes, sometimes sprinkling the stars overhead with shining rain. Lila could’ve stayed forever in that overgrown garden, held in Diego’s arms, had not a burst of light and color illuminated a figure just beyond the southern wall. In the fading ruby glow, Lila saw the silver-white curls of her mother’s hair.

Instantly, she went very cold.

“Lila? What’s wrong?”

But she was already on her feet, walking down the sloping path to where she’d seen her mother. “I’ll be right back,” she assured Diego. “I just have to…I’ll only be a moment.”

Another blast of light illuminated Diego’s worried face. “Okay,” he said slowly, lowering himself back down on his elbows. “Just don’t get lost.”

Lila made her way through the weeds and bramble, using a vine and a low tree to pull herself over the fence. Mother was waiting for her on the other side, looking far too calm.

“Well, it’s about time,” she said with false brightness. “I thought you’d never notice me.”

“How did you find me?”

"Oh it was easy, really,” Mother said. “I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that.”

Lila winced. “Mother, let me explain - ”

“We're going home, Little One,” Mother said, grabbing her firmly by the arm. “Now.”

“No, Mother wait,” Lila protested, pulling away. “You don't understand! I've been on the most incredible journey, I've seen and learned so much. I even…met someone.”

“Met someone? Oh, you mean that little Hargreeves brat?” Mother’s laugh was high and mean. “I knew you weren’t ready to leave that tower yet and this just _proves_ it. Lila, my sweet Little One, don’t you realize what he is?”

“I know he’s star-touched, Mother, but he’s - ”

“A murderer.” Mother gave Lila a pitying look and patted her hair lovingly. “Darling, he andhis siblings are the ones that killed the King and Queen.”

There was a roaring in Lila’s ears that had nothing to do with the fireworks overhead, her breathing suddenly shallow. “N-no, that can’t be true,” she said, pushing her mother’s hand away. “No, he would never do that, that’s not like him…”

“And you know this after, what, one day?” Mother asked. “If it’s any consolation, that horrid father of their’s made them all do it. They were only little kids, they didn’t know any better _then_. Now though, they’re all like him - power hungry, ruthless, cruel. They’re hated throughout this kingdom.”

“That can’t be true,” Lila said, shaking her head. “Diego’s not power hungry, he doesn’t even want to rule! He ran away from that life, he’s…he’s _looking_ for the Princess! Why would he do that if he killed her parents?”

“He doesn’t want to rule, is that what he told you?” Mother sighed. “Lila, for once in your life, _use your head_. If he’s looking for the Princess then it’s only so he can finish the job.”

Shamefully, Lila could barely speak, her chest tight. “I don’t believe you,” she managed to whisper.

“Why would I lie to you?” Mother asked, hurt. She enveloped Lila into a hug, stroking her back. “I am not telling you this to hurt you, my Little One, I am trying to protect you. I love you and I just don’t want this man betraying your trust like he’s bound to do.”

(He hadn’t even told her his name until forced. And truly, why would Mother lie to her? What did Lila really know of the world?)

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Lila whimpered, starting to cry. “I’m so sorry I ran away, I’m sorry I left.”

“I know, darling, I know,” Mother cooed. “Let’s go home.”

\- - - 

The darkness was settling heavily over the garden and Diego was beginning to worry. They were still safely within the palace grounds, and Lila was more than capable of handling herself. He had only been joking when he told her not to get lost. But the minutes crept by and she still had not reappeared.

He was just about to get up and start looking for her when he heard a rustle of movement from down the sloping garden path, the snap of a twig. Instantly, the tightness in his chest dissipated.

“There you are,” he said. “Where did you…”

The two remaining Swede brothers emerged from the darkened corners of the garden, their faces set and pale with rage.

“…go.”

They were on him in a moment and Diego - stupidly, carelessly, foolishly - had laid his knives just out of reach when he had first pulled Lila to him, trusting the relative safety of his old home. He was still a dangerous fighter with just his bare fists, but against two opponents set on vengeance, he was quickly overmatched. 

“ _LILA_!” He bellowed desperately. “ _LILA_!”

The shorter of the two brother’s held Diego’s arm’s behind his back, forcing him to kneel in the cold dirt. The taller one struck him hard across the face with an strong fist, splitting his lip.

“Girl with mother now,” he taunted, grabbing Diego’s chin and forcing him to look up. He struck him again, cracking his head backwards with the force. “Who you think tells us where we find you, hm?”

“No.” A booted toe connected with the wound on Diego’s stomach, the pain blueing the edges of his vision, twisting the air from his lungs. He couldn’t breathe from the ache of it, could only hear the roaring of his own blood through his head. “No, no, LILA! _LILA_!”

If he could only get to his knives then this would all be over, he could get himself free, end these Swedes, find Lila…but the tall one before him unsheathed his sword then, holding the pommel with both hands and pressing the cold tip directly over Diego’s heart.

_"Öga för öga,_ ” whispered the Swede. He reared back and - 

The ground exploded up from beneath Diego, and he went flying through the air, too startled to even yell. He landed with a _SPLASH_ in one of the decrepit reflecting pools, cracking his knees upon the stony bottom.

“You okay, Diego?” 

Floating down from the night sky came a small, pale figure dressed in matching black breeches and tunic, the gray cloak clasped about her thin throat fluttering in the breeze. It had been some years since he had last seen his baby sister, and while her dark hair seemed longer, the ghoulish gray-white of her eyes remained as ageless as ever.

“Vanya,” he spluttered, spitting out a mouthful of putrid water. “How did you find me?”

“ _NO! NOO!”_

A small crater now bisected the garden from Vanya’s blast, the Swede brothers having landed on the southern side. The sword, which had been only moments away from skewering Diego, now pinned the shorter of the two Swedes to the ground, stuck through his chest. His brother cradled his head in his lap, screaming in agony.

“Oh no,” Vanya whispered. She looked uncertain for a moment before firmly planting herself in front of Diego, hands raised, calling down to the lone Swede, “That was a warning. You will leave this city now, leave this kingdom, or you will join your companion.”

The Swede reached out a trembling hand and touched his sword, whispering in a foreign tongue what sounded like a prayer over his brother’s body. He then stood shakily, shooting Vanya and Diego a look of pure, cold fury, and took off running into the shadows.

“You should’ve killed him,” Diego said gruffly, trying to pull himself to standing. Everything hurt and his ears were ringing from the blast. “He’s more dangerous now that he has nothing to lose.”

“I don’t like killing, that other one was an accident,” Vanya said. The ethereal light went out of her eyes and she turned to her brother, sizing him up and down before launching herself at him, arms tight around his neck. “I can’t believe you’re finally back! I heard the yelling from the the balcony and came to investigate, but I never _ever_ dreamed it’d be you!”

Diego stumbled on unsteady legs and fell back to the ground, arms wrapped around his sister, but groaning with the pain. “Vanny hold on, _ouch_ \- ”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry, fuck you’re hurt!” Vanya pulled herself away, face pinched and pale, cheeks wet with tears. “How - ? I mean are you - ? You know what, it doesn’t matter. We need to get you to the infirmary right away.”

“No Vanya, I can’t stay,” Diego grit out. “I have to go, you have to help me go - ”

“You’re not going anywhere.” 

Luther towered above them, and he somehow seemed to shine golden and sunny even against the night. His voice was as stern and gruff as their father’s, but even as he tried to hold himself firm, Diego could see the cracks in his expression, his blue eyes swimming with concern.

“Not when you’ve finally returned,” Luther said, sinking to his knees and grasping Diego’s shoulder tightly. “I should knock your head in for abandoning us like that, but it seems someone has already beaten me to it.”

“Luther, he’s hurt very badly,” Vanya breathed. “Can you carry him inside? Oh, this is all my fault!”

“No, wait Vanya, it’s not your fault,” Diego said. Everything was moving too quickly, things spinning out of his control. “And it’s not so bad, but I _can’t stay_ , I have to go - ”

“It’s true - you’re finally home.”

At the top of the garden a small crowd had appeared, and in the light of the torches some of the guards carried, Diego could make out the faces of his other siblings - Klaus and Benjamin looking amazed and relieved, Five and Allison bitter and shocked - and in front of them, now sprinting down the overgrown garden path…

“My boy, my darling boy!” Lady Grace kneeled between Vanya and Luther, her hands brushing back Diego’s hair, warming his cheeks. “I always knew you’d come back when you were ready. Oh, my sweet son, I can’t believe you’re really here!”

All of Diego’s protestations died on his tongue. 

(He had been so desperate to remain far from home, had been avoiding it for so many years, that he had smothered all the love he held in his heart for his family. But, surrounded by his siblings, watching the tears of joy fall from his mother’s eyes, the high walls about his heart stood no chance. They crumbled, and it took all he had not to cry.)

“Hi, Mom,” he whispered, taking her hand. “I’m home.”

\- - -

The tower had never felt more oppressive. Mother had removed the pulley-system from the great window and installed new locks on the door below, ones that only opened from the outside.

But all her precautions were useless, for Lila had no desire to leave her little home again, had barely the energy to leave her bedroom at all. For days after the Starfall Day festivities, she simply lay in her bed, half-dozing, half-staring into the nothingness.

“Really dear, this moping is becoming too much,” Mother said on the third day. She bustled into the room and threw back the curtains on the window, opening the panes to let the cool, autumn breeze roll in. “Now, I’ve had quite enough of this ‘woe is me’ routine, and there is no use wasting away over rotten men. Chop-chop, let’s go.”

“Are we going somewhere?” Lila asked with a sniffle, sitting up but making no move to extricate herself from the bed.

“Well, that garden of yours needs some tending to,” Mother said. “And I am certainly not going to touch it. Come now, you have enough around here to keep you occupied.”

When Lila still didn’t move, Mother grasped her sheets and snapped them back off the bed. “I won’t repeat myself, Little One,” she said. “Up. Bathe. Chores. Let’s get a move on.”

Lila did as she was told, even though her heart was far from in it. Even being in her garden was not enough to distract her from the thoughts that had been swirling like a whirlpool in her mind for days now - why had Diego lied to her? Had he and his siblings really killed the King and Queen? Was he really looking for the Princess only to kill her too?

(Darker, harder questions mirrored these, but they were too troubling for her to name or even explore. Was Mother lying to her? Was Mother really the bad guy here? Had Lila been blind to an evil that lay just under her nose for her entire life?)

Too many questions with no hope of closure. The uncertainties were eating her whole.

That evening, Lila leaned against the kitchen counter, plucking haphazardly at the bracelet on her wrist as Mother cooked.

(The necklace had been confiscated, but the plain little wooden bracelet had escaped Mother’s notice.)

“Mother, what do you do for the Commission?” Lila asked.

Mother did not look up from the pot of soup she was making, but Lila watched her shoulders stiffen. 

“I’m a glorified nanny, mostly,” Mother said finally. “Just keeping the boys in-line, making sure their shoes are polished and all. It’s very dull work, you wouldn’t want to hear about the nitty-gritty details.”

“And what does the Commission do, exactly?” 

Mother set the ladle down. “Really, Little One, you know how I feel about the incessant questioning.”

“Because I heard things when I was away,” Lila said, pushing her luck a bit further. “Horrible things.”

“All propaganda from a successful campaign of misinformation spread by those wicked Hargreeves freaks and their sycophantic followers.”

“I heard them from ex-Commission assassins themselves.”

“Disgruntled ex-employees,” Mother said smoothly. “And you would take the word of a trained killer over mine?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve been training me to do all these years, Mother? To be a killer?” Lila’s heart was beating hard in her throat. “Why else keep me locked here, learning night and day to fight, if not for that?”

“Lila, we’ve been over this,” Mother said. “You stay here because it’s _safe_. You’re special, if people found out - ”

“Found out what, that I’m star-touched?”

Mother froze.

“It’s true then, isn’t it?” Lila asked. “This ability to mimic…it’s not just a skill, it’s a power. Were you ever going to tell me?”

“No,” Mother said. “I was not. Because look at you now, all worked up over a stupid little phrase some moronic village folk came up with to describe what you’ve always known about yourself.”

“Are there others like me?” Lila’s stomach was in knots, her hands clammy. “Besides the Seven, how many more of us are there? Tell the truth!”

The force of Lila’s command seemed to rock Mother back on her heels. “Only eight of you,” she said. “And that’s the truth as far as I know it, I swear.”

And suddenly, Lila’s questions were gone and only a single, hard truth remained. It bubbled up from her lips before she had time to stop it. “You’re not my real mother.”

Mother’s face was as white as her hair. She grasped Lila’s wrists, tightly. “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “Of course I am your mother.” 

_“_ Who were my real parents?” Lila asked. “Where are they? Do they know where I am?”

“Lila - ”

“No! No more lies, I deserve to know the truth! Where are they? Did you steal me from them or did they give me up? What are their names? Who are they?”

“Little One - ” 

_“Stop calling me that!”_

“ _ENOUGH!”_ Mother screamed, and she threw Lila with all her might to the hard floor, her long fingers catching on the bracelet and snapping the chord that held it together. The wooden beads bounced along the floor as Mother stood over her, her face livid, mouth snarled.

“I raised you, I clothed you, I fed you,” she hissed, spit flecking her lips. “I sat with you when you were sick, I held you when you cried, I have loved you more than anyone in the world possibly could. No, I did not birth you but _I am your mother_ and I will hear _no more of this!”_

Lila sat motionless on the ground, her mouth a thin line, staring up defiantly at her Mother.

“Clean this up,” Mother said, indicating the scattered beads. “And go to your room. Think on all the heartbreak you have caused - and believe me, you have caused plenty. We’ll talk about this in the morning when you’re less emotional.”

She took the pot of soup from the stovetop and dumped its contents into the sink before turning on her heel and stomping her way down the stairs, leaving Lila alone, the echoes of their fight still ringing in her ears.

It was well after midnight and Lila lay on her stomach upon the bed. Her window was still wide open, the air bitter and cold, and the moonless night was something of a comfort, like a mourning shroud. She had collected all the beads from the kitchen and now had them spread out in front of her, trying to see if there was a way to restring them, but she didn’t know where to start. So she rolled her fingers back and forth over their worn forms, trying to ignore the guilty feelings they inspired.

(“A deal’s a deal. You’ll get it back after the festival. But I’ll be more careful with it. I promise.”)

So much for that.

Lila was so caught up in her own misery that at first she didn’t notice anything strange. But then, under the starlight, the little wooden beads began to glow. 

Confused, she held one gingerly between her forefinger and thumb, examining it closely. It seemed the bead itself was not the source of the glow, but rather, it was a small figure etched along its surface. Turning it slowly until it looked to be right-side up, the figure became a _C_.

Lila sat up and began sorting through the beads, squinting at the little glowing symbols. She began arranging and re-arranging them until they spelled out two words. Of the thirteen beads, only two remained blank in the starlight, so Lila put one between the two words she had spelled, certain that the second would separate them on the other side once strung together again.

In the dark of her room, the little beads on her bedspread shone softly.

_STAR TOUCHED_

( “No, I think she’s still out there, somewhere. There’s something weird about her whole story, and I think the answer to that will reveal who took her and why.”)

(“The bracelet. You think the bracelet is the key to figuring it out?”)

And her memory stirred so violently that it seemed to transport her back to the wishing fountain in the Capital. As if she stood before it once again, smelling the water, hearing it splash and gurgle in the sunlight, she saw the mural of the King and Queen surrounded by the sun and moon. In her mind’s eye, she saw the baby they held, saw that dusting of stars that decorated the night sky above her head. 

And finally, Lila knew the truth.

\- - - 

Even after so many years away, Diego fell back into the old routine of his home-life easily.All of his siblings were pleased to have him back - even Allison and Five had, begrudgingly, forgiven him for their fight in the canyon - and they stuck to him fast so that he was almost always accompanied by one of them.

(He knew they were watching him to make sure he didn’t run away again. He couldn’t blame them.)

His leathers were replaced by doeskin and satin, his goatee and hair trimmed and oiled. He sparred in the mornings, sat through dull Council meetings in the afternoon, took tea with his mother, and tried very hard not to think about Lila.

But it was easier said than done. He lay awake at night and saw how she had been bathed in the sinking sunlight when he had kissed her, the triumph on her face when she had teleported them from the canyon, her frightened defiance in the tavern when she faced down the Commission assassin. She had been so candid with him, so open and warm, that he could not for the life of him understand what would’ve made her run off like she did.

(He had been used before, he knew the signs of it. At least, he thought he did. Now he wasn’t so sure.)

“You seem very troubled, my dear,” Lady Grace said to him over her teacup. It was just after dawn on his fourth day home, and after a restless night, he had gotten up with the sun to breakfast alone with his mother. 

“It’s nothing, Mom,” he said quickly, flashing her a smile. “Just lost in thought.”

“Didn’t know you had enough of those to get lost in,” Five said, appearing in the doorway with a smirk.

“Five, you may join your brother and me for breakfast _only_ if you promise to behave yourself,” Lady Grace reprimanded with a smile. “Let him be home a week at least before you begin your teasing. Or at the very least, let him finish his tea first.”

“Sorry Mom, I’ll behave,” Five said, kissing her on the cheek before sitting down in the chair next to her.

Lady Grace shot Diego a wink before offering Five a plate of pastries. 

Diego studied his mother and brother, the strange passage of time both evident and lacking on their features making his heart heavy. Five’s powers of jumping through time slowed his aging so that he still looked just as he did when Diego had ran away as a teenager, but Lady Grace’s hair was now more silver than gold, her face lined and creased. Diego was well aware of how much he’d grown over the years, but that same aging visible on his family’s faces only served as a reminder for all that he had missed.

(And as good as his reasons for leaving had been, he knew now he could not do it again, could not leave his family to grow and age without him.)

“But really, Diego, I know this lovelorn look,” Lady Grace continued, frowning. “Tell us about her - what happened?”

“Is this about that girl in the canyon?” Five asked. “Yes, I too would like to know a little more about her.”

“You never mentioned a girl with your brother in the canyon,” Lady Grace said, frown deepening.

Five waved her worry away. “You’ll have Allison’s bruised ego to blame for that. But tell us, Diego, who was this girl, where did you find her?”

Diego sighed and began recounting the tale of his encounter with Lila, skating over some of the finer details. He told a story of a young woman, held at home by a strict mother, who he had freed for a day of adventure, speaking of her bravery, her wit, her beauty. He was intentionally vague about the fight in the canyon but told his mother and brother about their day at the festival, ending with how she had fled after they had kissed, leaving him to fend for himself against the two assassins.

“I just want to know why she ran,” he finished. “Why she abandoned me when I needed help. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“What _I_ don’t understand is how this Lila of yours was able to rumor Allison like that,” Five said. “It’s like she mirrored her powers right back at us.”

Lady Grace turned sharply to her son, tea sloshing over the side of her cup. “What was that?”

“We didn’t just run into a Commission trap in that canyon,” Five explained. “Allison tried to _convince_ Diego and this Lila to return home, but Lila turned it back on us. That’s why we returned in the manner that we did _and_ why Allison has been sulking for days.”

“And is that all she can do?” she asked Diego, her countenance suddenly very serious. “Tell me, Diego, did she exhibit any other abilities?”

Diego had never seen his mother like this. He shared a concerned look with Five before nodding. “She can mimic anything,” he said. “She teleported us out of that canyon after seeing Five do it. I-I think she might be star-touched, too.”

The teacup slipped from Lady Grace’s fingers and shattered to the ground. “It’s her,” she whispered hoarsely. “It’s really her.”

“Mom? Mom!”

Diego and Five rushed to their mother’s side, grasping her hand and her shoulders. 

“What is it? Tell us, what’s going on?”

“You found her,” Lady Grace said, turning her wide eyes to Diego’s. “You found the lost Princess.”

Five looked at her sharply. “That’s impossible,” he said. “Father always told us all it would be impossible to find her after so many years. You even agreed that Diego was on a fool’s errand - ”

“And the…the Princess wasn’t star-touched,” Diego said, feeling the color drain from his own face. “She…she was born almost a whole year after us…”

“No, she wasn’t,” Lady Grace cut him off, laying her hand over his. “One night, Queen Anita went to sleep only to awake the next morning to a belly swollen with child. A miracle, just like the seven of you. But your father worried about the people’s reaction, we didn’t know how they would take to you, knowing you were special, knowing you might even have powers. He convinced Anita and Ronald to conceal her birth for nine more months, so that there would be no question about her right to rule. He swore the entire palace to secrecy but word somehow got out and now… _now_ , after all these years, you’ve found her!”

“You lied to us,” Five leveled at Lady Grace, accusingly. “You and father both! How could you?”

“It was too dangerous,” Lady Grace insisted. “Your father was sure she was stolen for her powers! If any of the seven of you went out searching and fell victim to a trap we would’ve never forgiven ourselves, _I_ would’ve never forgiven myself. Think what you will of me, my son, but I will _not_ apologize for prioritizing the safety of my children!”

Diego was barely listening, his head spinning. “Lila’s the lost Princess,” he repeated. “She’s - ”

“In trouble,” Five finished. “Didn’t those Swede brothers say they were after her? If she’s out there all alone…”

“Five,” Diego’s voice was harsh. “Five, her mother is Commission.”

“You have to get her back.” Lady Grace gripped both Diego and Five’s hands, though the latter tore his hand away, anger still palpably rippling from his eyes. But Lady Grace ignored him, her features awash with horror. “There’s no time to wake your siblings. You two have to leave right away. Find her, keep her safe, and bring her home.”

\- - -

Lila barely slept that night, her mind reeling with her discovery. As the sun broke bloody and cold upon the horizon, she rose to dress. Arming herself with a long knife, she fixed herself a simple breakfast before sitting in the solar, waiting.

She didn’t have to wait long.

“Oh good, you’re awake and already dressed,” Mother said as she came to the top of the stairs. “Hopefully a night’s rest has given you some time to calm down - ”

“I’m the lost Princess,” Lila said. She stood, unsheathing her knife, and faced her mother, repeating, “I am the lost Princess.”

Mother just blinked at her, owlishly.

“And you,” Lila continued, stepping closer, voice lowering. “You are a kidnapper, a murderer, and a liar. And I am leaving now. I am going home.”

“Home?” Mother quirked an eyebrow. “Lila, this is your home. This is where you belong. I know you’re very upset, darling, but you have to know that everything I’ve done has been to protect you.”

“No more lies!” Lila snapped. “I have spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power, but all this time I should have been hiding from you! You have lied to me about the world, lied to me about my own history, and I _am_ leaving. This is goodbye.”

And Mother seemed to grow several inches in her fury, shaking and white as ice. The smile that pulled her lips was all teeth. “You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy.”

Lila never stood a chance.

\- - -

“Why is it _always_ a tower in a _remote valley_ in the _middle_ of a forest,” Five panted, doubled over, hand pressed to the stitch in his side. “And _never_ a cabin on the beach?”

His teleporting powers had taken them right to base of the tower, but the effort had drained him considerably. Diego was inpatient, pacing in the shadows, knowing Lila was just above him and possibly in danger.

“Any second now would be great,” he growled. “C’mon, how long does it take you to recharge?”

“Just give me a _moment_ ,” Five gasped, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked like he was going to be sick. “Just a _couple of minutes_ and I’ll be right as rain.”

“Fuck this,” Diego said. “I climbed this once, I can do it again. Just find us when you’re ready.”

Hand-over-hand, Diego began climbing the tower in the early morning light, his heart hammering a war drum in his chest. _Please be here_ , he silently prayed. _And please be okay._

In no time at all, he crawled through the lone open window at the very top. He dropped into the room inside, which was as dark as it had been last time, but he kept his knives held in front of him as his eyes adjusted. The furniture lay overturned all around him, books scattered, plates broken and rugs twisted.

“Lila?” He called softly. “Lila, are you here?”

He heard a muffled yell behind a sofa and hurried over to it. There he found Lila, arms and legs bound and chained to a post in the wall, her mouth gagged.

“Lila!” Diego pushed the sofa aside, dropping his knives onto it and gently cupping her face between his hands. Her nose was bloodied and one eye was starting to darken with a bruise, but she otherwise seemed unharmed. “You’re okay, I’m here and I’ve got you now, okay? You’re going to be alright. I’m getting you out of here.”

He fished out a lock pick from his boot, instantly setting to work on the manacles encasing her ankles before undoing those on her wrists. “We don’t have a lot of time, but Lila, _you’re_ the lost Princess,” he said as he broke open her chains. “I know it’s a lot to take in but I’ll explain everything when we’re safe - ”

“Diego!” Lila gasped, pulling the gag from her mouth, her eyes wild with fear. “You have to leave, you have to go!”

“What?”

“There’s no time! She’s here, she’ll - ”

A shadow fell over both of them. Diego jumped to his feet, spinning around just in time to watch Mother pick up his knives from where he’d so carelessly thrown them upon the sofa.

“You know, you should really keep a better eye on your things,” she said cooly. Then, with the speed and brutal strength of a trained assassin, Mother lunged forward and buried the knife into his chest, right up to the hilt.

“Oops,” she whispered.

Lila watched in horror as Diego stumbled backwards, his hand grasping uselessly at the knife, before falling to his knees. She caught him before he hit the ground, pressing her hands to his face, to his hair, to his chest. They turned slick with his blood.

“No-no-no,” she begged, her vision blurring with tears. “No-no, stay with me, okay? Diego? _Diego please!_ No-no-no…”

“Lila.” His voice with softer than a whisper, blood dribbling from his lips. With great effort, he lifted his hand and brushed his fingers against her cheek. “It’s okay, it-it’s guh-going to b-be okay.”

“Diego please don’t leave me,” Lila pleaded, holding his face between her hands. 

“Lila,” he repeated once more. And then he was gone.

It was at that moment that the room filled with blue light and the boy from the canyon - Five - materialized. His face was green-tinged and sweaty, as though the effort to teleport into the room had cost him greatly. He instantly zeroed in on his brother, lying prone in a pool of his own blood, and stumbled forward. Distracted, he did not hear Mother stalking up behind him, nor Lila’s warning scream.

“Oh look, another one,” Mother said, grabbing Five by the collar. She stabbed Lila’s long knife into his side and dropped him to the ground like a sack. “I swear these Hargreeves’s are like cockroaches - they just spawn up everywhere.”

Lila felt cold, kneeling in Diego’s blood. Her hands shook atop his still chest as she watched Five twitch and moan upon the floor, his blood running rivulets into the grooves of wood. 

“Well look at the mess you’ve made, Little One,” Mother said with a _tsk_. “Now I think we’ve had enough fun for today, wouldn’t you agree?”

On numb legs, Lila stood to face her mother, eyeing the bloodied knife still gripped in her fist. There was something sharper than a scream building in her chest, engulfing her in a feeling that was stronger than fury and deeper than grief. In that moment, she had no care to live nor will to die, but shook with one singular need, hard and flat as a coffin lid: _Revenge._

She bolted past her mother towards the open window, made as if to dive through it. Mother followed, faster than Lila had ever known her capable to be, the long knife raised and poised to strike. Knowing instinctually it would be easier now that she had done it once before, Lila turned on her heel and faced the knife as it arced towards her, staring it down as she teleported away from the window.

Mother was fast, but not fast enough to stop her own momentum.

(Mother had never really learned when to stop.)

She tumbled out of the high window, her dying scream caught on the wind.

Lila rematerialized just a few feet away, falling to her knees. Quietness settled heavily about the room, and all around her was blood and death and the keening loss of everything she’d ever loved.

There was a crash down below, then the pounding of footsteps up the stairs. Lila did not move as the last living Swede brother burst into the room, his blade raised for battle. He skidded to a halt as he took in the scene around him.

“Go ahead,” Lila whispered as he finally saw her. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“ _Wait!_ ”

She turned. Five was still alive, but only just, gurgling and reaching out a limp hand towards her. Lila crawled over to him, ignoring the Swede.

“You can mi-mimic,” Five choked. He grasped Lila’s arm. “I can jump, n-not just space, but-but _time._ Few seconds, muh-maybe a m-minute at m-most.”

“No I can’t. I _can’t_ ,” Lila whimpered. “I have to see you do it first, I can’t just - can’t just manifest it on my own!”

Five was struggling to breathe, but his grip on her arm tightened. “It’s juh-just the s-same as be-before,” he stuttered, teeth stained red. “S-same pow…po _wer_ , dif-ferent variabuh-ble. You…you ha-have tuh...tuh _try_.”

The morning sunlight was spilling into the room now. 

Lila turned to the Swede, still staring at the scene in horrified awe. “Your other brother, is he dead too?” she asked, voice hoarse.

He nodded mutely. 

“I’m sorry,” Lila said simply.

She turned back to Five and held his hand as his stuttering breath stilled, closing her eyes to the light and searching within herself once more for that lock. The tang of blood was sharp in her nose, the grit of tears still stinging her cheeks. She could not focus, struggled against the mounting grief in her chest, pushed and strained against the barrier in her own mind, and was about to surrender to defeat when she felt the almighty click.

Blue light surrounded her and she felt her body move on its own volition. The air pulled from her lungs and her pulse hammered across her vision, blue-and-red, blue-and-red. Beyond the flashes of light and pain, she saw bodies rise and move, backwards and reversed like some horrible pantomime. She felt like she was being pulled apart from every direction but she kept pushing and _pushing_ …just a few more seconds, just a few more…The pain was becoming unbearable, radiating outward from somewhere deep in her skin, and she wanted to scream but she couldn’t even breathe - 

And then Lila was suddenly back on the floor by the overturned sofa, Diego before her so very, _very_ alive.

“ - I know it’s a lot to take in,” he was saying. “But I’ll explain everything when we’re safe - ”

She didn’t even give Diego time to finish, didn’t even remove the gag from her mouth, but shot past him to where Mother was creeping forward, tackling her to the ground.

They rolled about the floor, but Lila was easily outmatched - after all, this was the woman who taught her everything she knew. Mother got the upper hand quickly, slamming Lila’s head into the floorboards with hands wrapped tightly around her throat, knees pressed painfully to her chest. 

“It’s over, Little One,” Mother hissed, face purple with rage as she began squeezing and squeezing, leaning all her weight onto Lila’s windpipe.

Lila’s vision was swimming, black spots dancing in front of her eyes, when she saw Diego appear behind Mother, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her backwards. She coughed and spluttered as the weight lifted from her chest, sucking in a lungfuls of air, watching dazedly as Diego backed Mother up against the wall, knives pointed to her throat.

“Don’t - don’t kill her,” Lila wheezed, throat burning, struggling to get up. 

“After everything she’s done to you?” Diego asked, his face dark. “After everything she’s done to this kingdom? She killed your parents, Lila! Give me one good reason she should live!”

(But Lila had lived through this once already, knew who Mother’s killer had to be, and it wasn’t Diego. They just needed more time.)

But Mother was fast. Like a snake, she shot out from the wall and grabbed the knife from Diego’s hand, slicing at his face. He turned his chin just in time, but roared in pain as blood began to gush from his eye. Stumbling backwards, he pulled Lila behind him, shielding her from the next knife fall, when two things happened in quick succession.

A cloud of blue light deposited Five into the middle of the fray, his face pale and shining with sweat. The _CRACKLE_ and _POP_ of his teleportation masked the crash of the door opening below and the subsequent pounding of footsteps. 

No sooner had he appeared - his presence distracting Mother just long enough to stay her hand - than the last Swede brother burst through the top of the stairs, his blade raised for battle. With a cry that was equal parts despair and pain, he charged at Mother, running her through with his sword.

The knife clattered from Mother’s hand. She grasped at the sword in her belly, her eyes widening in surprise, before seeking out Lila. She reached out, as if making to grasp her daughter one more time, before she hiccuped once, blood coating her lips. And then she toppled to the ground, dead.

_"Öga för öga,_ ” spat the Swede.

Five turned and vomited, falling to his hands and knees.

Lila ducked under Diego’s extended arm and approached the Swede cautiously. “Eye for an eye,” she said, drawing his attention. “Does that cover it? Are we done here?”

The Swede looked between Lila and her fallen mother almost regretfully.  “We should never have taken job,” he croaked. He pointed to Diego. “They kill, but Handler sign death order. Arrow cannot be blamed for archer’s aim. So _ja_ , we are done.”

“Good.” Lila pointed towards the stairs, her silent command clear. 

The Swede inclined his head as he left.

(He did not recover his sword and he dropped his remaining weapons at the mouth of the valley ravine. When he had said he was done, he had truly meant it. No amount of blood would ever bring his brothers back to him.)

As his falling footsteps receded down the tower, Diego groaned, leaning his back against the wall and pressing his sleeve into the cut that still bled profusely down his face.

“Oh shit! Here, let me look at that,” Lila fretted, pulling his arm away and holding his face between her shaking hands. “Oh thank the stars, it looks like she missed your eye.”

“Shame, an eye patch would’ve really completed the Kraken’s whole look,” he said, winding an arm around her waist, his other hand pushing back her hair. He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Are you okay?”

(She had just watched him die, watched his brother die, stood silently by as her mother died twice. There would be a time for sorrow, but it was not now.)

“I’m okay,” Lila sighed, tipping her head forward, pressing her forehead to his. “You came back for me.”

“‘Course I did,” he muttered. “I promised I would check-in on you, didn’t I? And besides, it seems you’re who I’ve been searching for all along. I wasn’t going to let you disappear on me that easily.”

“Such a sweet-talker,” Lila huffed. 

But she pressed up onto her toes and kissed him hard. He pulled her against him, so that there was no spot they were not touching, and she let the press of him envelope her whole. The taste and move of his lips was a reassurance that he lived, that he was here, that he was going to be alright.

“Oh please - have I not suffered enough for you the two of you this morning?” Five called to them, annoyed. “I’m going to be sick all over again if I watch anymore of this.”

“Well stop watching then,” Diego snapped, breaking away from Lila but still holding her close.

Lila grinned over at Five, not even bothering to pretend to be embarrassed. “You going to be alright there, little man?”

“Well, we’re going to have to travel home the long way, but for the most part, yes,” he groused. “Now would someone fill me in on what exactly happened up here?”

“I can do that,” Lila said. She pulled away from Diego and, hesitating only a little, grabbed a blanket from the floor, throwing it over her mother’s - the Handler’s - corpse. It was the only bit of kindness she could afford her in that moment.

(Tear would come, grief and confusion and bitterness would follow. But anger and betrayal still shocked her system, relief at being alive kept her afloat. Now was no time for mourning.)

The only keepsake Lila took with her from the tower was the broken bracelet, the beads gathered into the small pouch and tied to her belt. She paused at the top of the stairs and glanced back at Diego and Five, who lingered just behind her.

“Well boys, shall we set off? The road is long, and I’ve got quite the story to share.”

\- - - 

As the minutes ticked by, Lila grew increasingly anxious. She paced back and forth along the marble floors of the retaining room outside of the throne room, smoothing her sweaty palms across the bodice of her dress.

This was a terrible idea. She should’ve taken Allison up on her offer to make the proclamation in her stead, should’ve given herself more time to practice her speech. 

Picking up the papers from where she had tossed them on the table, she scanned through them once more. Rubbish, it was all rubbish. She should’ve let more people review it, should’ve gathered more feedback before presenting it in front of the entire court.

The door at the southern end of the room opened and she jumped, nearly sending the papers flying everywhere.

“It’s just me,” Diego said as he entered. When he caught sight of her panicked face he gave a small laugh. “Oh no, I know this look - this is the same look Benjamin had before his first public appearance at twelve. Got so nervous that he locked his knees and damn near fainted in front of the whole crowd.”

“Shut up, you’re not helping,” Lila snapped, smacking him with the papers.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” Diego said, winding his arms around her waist with a grin. The cut the Handler had left was starting to scar, a line of fresh, pink skin now bisecting his eyebrow, and it painted all his smiles as roguish, whether he meant them to be or not.

She made a face at him but pushed the papers into his chest. “I know we only have a few minutes, but…what if this sounds stupid? What if they don’t like this, don’t like me?”

“As long as you don’t hit any of the courtiers, I’m sure they’ll like you,” Diego said lightly, but he started rifling through her speech all the same, skimming the lines with interest. 

“You’re keeping the Council of the Seven intact?” He asked in surprise.

Lila shrugged. “What do I know about ruling a kingdom? You all have been doing the actual decision making for ages, I thought it only made sense. I’ll serve as the royal tie-breaker.”

“You can’t have a tie-breaker with an even number people.”

“That’s why I’m having your mom officially join,” Lila said, pointing to the line in her speech. “Eight Hargreeves’s, one me. Let the tie-breaking commence.”

Diego nodded thoughtfully, still looking through her writing. “And what if people start questioning your impartiality when they find out we’re…”

“Courting each other?” Lila rolled her eyes disdainfully at the term. “Then I’ll just kick you out and ask your mom to abstain, easy-peasy. But does it all sound okay? I’m not much of a writer and I’m _definitely_ not a public speaker.”

“I think it sounds great,” Diego said, handing her back the papers. “And I think you’ll do great. They’ll love you, I promise.”

“I’m nervous,” she admitted. 

It wasn’t just the speech, although that was a big part of it. The people had been waiting for her return for nearly twenty years, had almost given up hope that she was even alive. The stories they told now of her captivity in the tower, her misadventure with Diego, and their battle with the Shadow Handler of the Commission, all imbued her with and air of myth and legend, creating impossibly big shoes to fill. She worried - frequently to Diego late at night - that she would never measure up to the expectations they had laid at her feet.

“I know,” Diego said quietly. He reached out and took her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles. “It’s a lot, but you won’t be doing this alone. I’ll be right beside you the whole time. I’ve got your back, always.”

There was a knock at the door from the northern end of the room and Klaus peaked his head in. “It’s time,” he pronounced, sweeping into an ostentatiously grand bow. “Your Highness, your court awaits.”

Lila squeezed Diego’s hand tight before darting up on her toes and giving him a quick kiss. 

“Always? Be careful, I might hold you to that,” she muttered against his lips.

Settling back on her heels, Lila took a deep breath before marching towards the door, her head held high. Diego followed closely behind, his grin soft and eyes warm, the promised _always_ alive in his chest, pulsing in his heart in a way that felt suspiciously like love.

(It would not all be easy sailing, for some days still carried thunder clouds, while other still stung with the icy chill of grief and resentment. There were always fights to be had, monsters to slay, forces of great evil and shadow to battle against.)

(But for every rose that wilted, another went to seed. For every rainfall, there usually followed a sunrise. Order restored slowly, happening in fits and starts, but the promise of _always_ carrying them along.)

And they lived happily ever after.

(More or less.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lily necklace was, of course, the sunflower lily from _Tangled_! Comment/like/whatever if you liked, send hate mail to @wyrd-syster on tumblr.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment/like/whatever if you liked, send hate mail to @wyrd-syster on tumblr.


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